Professional Organizational Activities: Member
of the KNA Nightingale Chapter

Statement: I want to be involved with the Governmental Affairs Cabinet because I want to be an advocate for nurses and the nursing profession. I know by serving in this cabinet I will be able to help shape legislation that affects nurses and healthcare consumers. Serving on this cabinet will give me the experience I need to advocate for nurses and the nursing profession on a national level. Working and serving alongside other cabinet members will benefit my growth and ability to promote nursing and the profession of nursing.

Professional Organizational Activities: I have been a faculty member at U of L School of Nursing for more than 15 years and have served as a member of faculty organizations in many capacities including development of the school’s By-Laws and serving in the capacity of Committee Chair. As a former member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses / Greater Louisville Chapter I served in the following capacities: Program Committee, 1986- 1988, Chairperson, 1987, 1988; Education Special Interest Group, 1986-1993; Board of Directors, 1987, 1988. St. Anthony Medical Center, Louisville, KY, 1991-1993. With other Administrative Directors of Nursing at St. Anthony’s Medical Center, I was responsible for developing and managing a multimillion-dollar budget for the Nursing Department.

Statement: I have 44 years of diverse experience as a staff nurse, manager and administrator, educator and an advanced practice nurse. My passion now is to make a broader impact by working for policy changes that affect the public. As a psychiatric nurse practitioner working with indigent patients I see many injustices in the health care system. I am also interested in the regulations controlled by the legislature that govern the practice of RNs and APRNs. My DNP project is to initiate universal suicide screening for all adolescents in emergency departments to reduce the rate of teen suicide.

Professional Organizational Activities: Member
of the KNA Bluegrass Chapter.

Statement: Born the daughter of a nurse, then a candy striper at age 12, followed by various ground level positions in long-term care as well as acute care and then a registered nurse at age 23: healthcare, nursing and patient advocacy have always been central to who I am, professionally. With 14 years of nursing experience in a field I love, I feel it is my duty to help advocate for nurses in Kentucky to effect change that will empower nurses with the ability to provide optimum patient care with balance. Quality care - not just quality documentation.

Bridget N. Fehr, MSN, RN, ONC

Present Position: Orthopedic
Nurse Manager

Type of Position: Nurse Manager

Area of Expertise: Orthopedics

Education: Bellarmine University MSN;
Spalding University-BSN

Professional Organizational Activities: KNA River City Chapter; ANA, NAON, KONL

Statement: As a nurse for more than 24 years, I have practiced and advocated for the bedside nurse in my silo. At the Magnet Conference in October 2017, I joined KNA/ANA. This has exposed me to the additional opportunities that I have as a nurse leader to impact all nurses in Kentucky. As KNA cabinet member, I can continue to advocate and promote the professional nursing practice. As we have witnessed with Kentucky’s teaching professionals, there is great opportunity for our voices to be heard and to impact patient care delivery.

Ellen J. Hahn, PhD, RN, FAAN

Present Position: Alumni
Professor in the Colleges of
Nursing and Public Health

Education: Indiana University-PhD
and MSN; The Ohio State
University, MA and Case Western
Reserve University-BSN

Statement: Since earning a doctoral degree in 1993, I have been actively engaged in advancing health policy to protect the health of residents of the Commonwealth. Both as an advocate and a scientist, colleagues and I have used data to promote evidence-based tobacco control policy. I have taught health policy with doctoral students at the University of Kentucky for many years and I have served on the leadership team for the Coalition for a Smokefree Tomorrow. I have directed the Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy since 2005. I have a good handle on the legislative process and have many organizational contacts. Based on my experience and expertise, I believe I am a strong candidate to represent you on the Governmental Affairs Cabinet.

Lauran Hardin, MSN, RN-BC, CNL, FNAP

Present Position: Senior Director

Type of Position: Nursing

Area of Expertise: Professional
Speaking

Education: University of Detroit
Mercy, MSN; Calvin College, BSN

Professional Organizational
Activities: Advisory Board for
the National Center for Complex
Health and Social Needs; on the Edge Runner
Selection Committee for the

American Academy of Nursing; involved with the Kentucky

Center for Nursing and Action Coalition; Manage complex contracts with National Organizations for consulting;

Managed and delivered $760,000 Innovation Grant for Trinity Health; Led a hospital department with a budget >$500,000; Consultant with C Suite executives to develop the business case for complex care interventions and vulnerable populations.

Statement: I had the privilege of moving to Kentucky two years ago to be near family. Now that we’re settled, I’m very interested in contributing to the important efforts of Nursing in the State. I work for a National Center developing the field of Complex Care and advocating for policy and practice changes for vulnerable populations. I travel all over the country, partnering with health systems, governments, community clinics and national organizations like AARP and RWJF. I would like to bring the resources and connections from that work to Kentucky through engagement with the Board of KNA.

Beth McCraw, DNP, APRN, ACNS-BC

Present Position: Administrator,
Clinical Specialist

Type of Position: Nursing
Administration

Area of Expertise: Education,
Adult Medical/Surgical, Progressive
Care and Telemetry

Statement: As a nurse leader at a medium-sized, acute care, non-profit community hospital located in Western Kentucky, it is extremely important to stay active in the ever-changing governmental affairs arena that we see in our healthcare industry today. I am fortunate to work for a healthcare executive who values nursing feedback and expertise while determining decisions that impact frontline clinical staff and the health of our community. It is vital that I have the opportunity to serve in a role at KNA where I can directly impact nursing practice

Ann Spencer, MBA, BSN, RN

Present Position: Regional
Director

Type of Position: Care
Management

Area of Expertise: Electronic
Medical Record Implementation;
Population Health and Bundled
Payment Incentive Programs.

Professional Organizational Activities: I have previous experience in leading Joint Commission Surveys and Kentucky State Surveys throughout my

career as a quality nurse leader and as a chief nursing officer for a local hospital. I participate in the KNA Event Planning Committee. I have experience with budget planning for nursing units and management of department funds.

Statement: When I graduated Nursing School more than 30 years ago, the scope of nursing was quite different than the current landscape nurses work in today. With national and state legislation, regulatory bodies and the advancement of the electronic medical record, nursing is becoming more automated and less patient friendly. That’s not why we became nurses.
These are my goals for the Government Affairs Cabinet position:

• I will be a nursing advocate and will review any recommendations for policy changes related to the nursing profession.

• I will collaborate with the public and other health care consumers in forums with regards to the nursing profession.

• I will proudly represent the nursing role and responsibilities to national and state organizations.

• I will always promote that patient care is the most important role of a nurse.

I look forward to working with the Kentucky Nurses Association in this exciting capacity

Shannon Stacy, RN

Present Position: Founder/
Executive Director

Type of Position: Care
Management

Area of Expertise: Innovative
Medicine

Education: Belmont University—
Massey School of Business—BBA;
Jefferson Community College—RN.